Tomato hybrid ps02450650 and parent lines thereof

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seed and plants of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and the parent lines thereof. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, morespecifically, to the development of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and theparent tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The goal of vegetable breeding is to combine various desirable traits ina single variety/hybrid. Such desirable traits may include any traitdeemed beneficial by a grower and/or consumer, including greater yield,resistance to insects or disease, tolerance to environmental stress, andnutritional value.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination.There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates ifpollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower ofthe same plant or plant variety. A plant cross-pollinates if pollencomes to it from a flower of a different plant variety.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for type over manygenerations become homozygous at almost all gene loci and produce auniform population of true breeding progeny, a homozygous plant. A crossbetween two such homozygous plants of different genotypes produces auniform population of hybrid plants that are heterozygous for many geneloci. Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at a number ofloci produces a population of hybrid plants that differ genetically andare not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makes performanceunpredictable.

The development of uniform varieties requires the development ofhomozygous inbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and theevaluation of the crosses. Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection areexamples of breeding methods that have been used to develop inbredplants from breeding populations. Those breeding methods combine thegenetic backgrounds from two or more plants or various other broad-basedsources into breeding pools from which new lines and hybrids derivedtherefrom are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes.The new lines and hybrids are evaluated to determine which of those havecommercial potential.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a tomato plant of thehybrid designated PS02450650, the tomato line PSQ24-2205 or tomato linePSQ24-2206. Also provided are tomato plants having all the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of such a plant. Parts of these tomatoplants are also provided, for example, including pollen, an ovule,scion, a rootstock, a fruit, and a cell of the plant.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of tomato hybrid PS02450650and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 comprising an addedheritable trait is provided. The heritable trait may comprise a geneticlocus that is, for example, a dominant or recessive allele. In oneembodiment of the invention, a plant of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and/ortomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 is defined as comprising a singlelocus conversion. In specific embodiments of the invention, an addedgenetic locus confers one or more traits such as, for example, herbicidetolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance, and modifiedcarbohydrate metabolism. In further embodiments, the trait may beconferred by a naturally occurring gene introduced into the genome of aline by backcrossing, a natural or induced mutation, or a transgeneintroduced through genetic transformation techniques into the plant or aprogenitor of any previous generation thereof. When introduced throughtransformation, a genetic locus may comprise one or more genesintegrated at a single chromosomal location.

The invention also concerns the seed of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and/ortomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206. The tomato seed of the inventionmay, in one embodiment of the invention, be provided as an essentiallyhomogeneous population of tomato seed of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and/ortomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206. Essentially homogeneouspopulations of seed are generally free from substantial numbers of otherseed. Therefore, seed of hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato linesPSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 may be defined as forming at least about 97%of the total seed, including at least about 98%, 99% or more of theseed. The seed population may, in specific embodiments of the invention,be separately grown to provide an essentially homogeneous population oftomato plants designated PS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 andPSQ24-2206.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerablecells of a tomato plant of hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato linesPSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 is provided. The tissue culture willpreferably be capable of regenerating tomato plants capable ofexpressing all of the physiological and morphological characteristics ofthe starting plant, and of regenerating plants having substantially thesame genotype as the starting plant. Examples of some of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the hybrid PS02450650and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 include those traits setforth in the tables herein. The regenerable cells in such tissuecultures may be derived, for example, from embryos, meristems,cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistil, flower,seed and stalks. Still further, the present invention provides tomatoplants regenerated from a tissue culture of the invention, the plantshaving all the physiological and morphological characteristics of hybridPS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided forproducing tomato seeds, plants and fruit, which processes generallycomprise crossing a first parent tomato plant with a second parenttomato plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent tomatoplants is a plant of tomato line PSQ24-2205 or tomato line PSQ24-2206.These processes may be further exemplified as processes for preparinghybrid tomato seed or plants, wherein a first tomato plant is crossedwith a second tomato plant of a different, distinct genotype to providea hybrid that has, as one of its parents, a plant of tomato linePSQ24-2205 or tomato line PSQ24-2206. In these processes, crossing willresult in the production of seed. The seed production occurs regardlessof whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing”comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent tomato plant,often in proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediatedby insect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually.Where the plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without theneed for direct human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first andsecond parent tomato plants into plants that bear flowers. A third stepmay comprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as byemasculating the flowers (i.e., killing or removing the pollen).

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination betweenthe first and second parent tomato plants. Yet another step comprisesharvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent tomato plants. Theharvested seed can be grown to produce a tomato plant or hybrid tomatoplant.

The present invention also provides the tomato seeds and plants producedby a process that comprises crossing a first parent tomato plant with asecond parent tomato plant, wherein at least one of the first or secondparent tomato plants is a plant of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and/ortomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206. In one embodiment of theinvention, tomato seed and plants produced by the process are firstgeneration (F₁) hybrid tomato seed and plants produced by crossing aplant in accordance with the invention with another, distinct plant. Thepresent invention further contemplates plant parts of such an F₁ hybridtomato plant, and methods of use thereof. Therefore, certain exemplaryembodiments of the invention provide an F₁ hybrid tomato plant and seedthereof.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofproducing a plant derived from hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato linesPSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206, the method comprising the steps of: (a)preparing a progeny plant derived from hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomatolines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206, wherein said preparing comprisescrossing a plant of the hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205and PSQ24-2206 with a second plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plantwith itself or a second plant to produce a seed of a progeny plant of asubsequent generation. In further embodiments, the method mayadditionally comprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration from said seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generationand crossing the progeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself ora second plant; and repeating the steps for an additional 3-10generations to produce a plant derived from hybrid PS02450650 and/ortomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206. The plant derived from hybridPS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 may be aninbred line, and the aforementioned repeated crossing steps may bedefined as comprising sufficient inbreeding to produce the inbred line.In the method, it may be desirable to select particular plants resultingfrom step (c) for continued crossing according to steps (b) and (c). Byselecting plants having one or more desirable traits, a plant derivedfrom hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 isobtained which possesses some of the desirable traits of the line/hybridas well as potentially other selected traits.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method ofproducing food or feed comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of tomatohybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206, whereinthe plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b) collecting one ormore tomato from the plant.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement oftomato hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206is provided. The phrase “genetic complement” is used to refer to theaggregate of nucleotide sequences, the expression of which sequencesdefines the phenotype of, in the present case, a tomato plant, or a cellor tissue of that plant. A genetic complement thus represents thegenetic makeup of a cell, tissue or plant, and a hybrid geneticcomplement represents the genetic make up of a hybrid cell, tissue orplant. The invention thus provides tomato plant cells that have agenetic complement in accordance with the tomato plant cells disclosedherein, and plants, seeds and plants containing such cells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles,and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic ofthe expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles.It is understood that hybrid PS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205and PSQ24-2206 could be identified by any of the many well knowntechniques such as, for example, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms(SSLPs) (Williams et al., 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs(RAPDs), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence CharacterizedAmplified Regions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction(AP-PCR), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybridgenetic complements, as represented by tomato plant cells, tissues,plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid geneticcomplement of a tomato plant of the invention with a haploid geneticcomplement of a second tomato plant, preferably, another, distincttomato plant. In another aspect, the present invention provides a tomatoplant regenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybrid geneticcomplement of this invention.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a plant of an hybridtomato that exhibits a combination of traits controlled by genetic meansfor the expression of the combination of traits found in tomato hybridPS02450650.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a method ofdetermining the genotype of a plant of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and/ortomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 comprising detecting in thegenome of the plant at least a first polymorphism. The method may, incertain embodiments, comprise detecting a plurality of polymorphisms inthe genome of the plant. The method may further comprise storing theresults of the step of detecting the plurality of polymorphisms on acomputer readable medium. The invention further provides a computerreadable medium produced by such a method.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of theinvention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unlessspecifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standarddeviation of the mean for the device or method being employed todetermine the value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used tomean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives onlyor the alternatives are mutually exclusive. When used in conjunctionwith the word “comprising” or other open language in the claims, thewords “a” and “an” denote “one or more,” unless specifically notedotherwise. The terms “comprise,” “have” and “include” are open-endedlinking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more of these verbs, suchas “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes” and“including,” are also open-ended. For example, any method that“comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more steps is not limited topossessing only those one or more steps and also covers other unlistedsteps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one ormore traits is not limited to possessing only those one or more traitsand covers other unlisted traits.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and any specificexamples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants,seeds and derivatives of tomato hybrid PS02450650, tomato linePSQ24-2205 and tomato line PSQ24-2206. The hybrid PS02450650 is producedby the cross of parent lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206. The parent linesshow uniformity and stability within the limits of environmentalinfluence. By crossing the parent lines, uniform seed hybrid PS02450650can be obtained.

The development of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and its parent lines can besummarized as follows.

A. Origin and Breeding History of Tomato Hybrid PS02450650

The parents of hybrid PS02450650 are PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206. Theseparents were created as follows:

PSQ24-2205 was created using pedigree selection. Accession T6786 washarvested from a field and used to create a large segregatingpopulation. Six generations of individual plant horticultural pedigreeselection followed. The line was bulked at the end of the fourth year.

Year 0 T6786 Year 1 F2 Year 2 F3 Year 2 F4 Year 3 F5 Year 3 F6 Year 4 F7Year 4 F8 designated PSQ24-2205 and bulked

PSQ24-2206 was created using pedigree selection. Accession T6825 washarvested from a field and used to create a large segregatingpopulation. Six generations of individual plant horticultural pedigreeselection followed. The line was bulked at the end of the fourth year.

Year 0 T6825 Year 1 F2 Year 2 F3 Year 2 F4 Year 3 F5 Year 3 F6 Year 4 F7Year 4 F8 designated PSQ24-2206 and bulked

B. Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Tomato HybridPS02450650, Tomato Line PSQ24-2205 and Tomato Line PSQ24-2206

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a plant having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and the parent linesthereof. A description of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of such plants is presented in Tables 1-3.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of HybridPS02450650 CHARACTERISTIC PS02450650 1. Seedling Anthocyanin InHypocotyl Of 2-15 Cm Present (Montfavet H 63.4) Seedling Habit Of 3-4Week Old Seedling Normal 2. Mature Plant Height 54.9 cm Growth TypeDeterminate (Campbell 1327, Prisca) Form Normal Size Of Canopy (ComparedTo Others Of Large Similar Type) Habit Sprawling (Decumbent) 3. StemBranching Profuse (UC 82) Branching At Cotyledon Or First Leafy NodePresent Number Of Nodes Between First Inflorescence 4 To 7 Number OfNodes Between Early (1st To 2nd, 1 To 4 2nd To 3rd) InflorescencesNumber Of Nodes Between Later Developing 1 To 4 InflorescencesPubescence On Younger Stems Sparsely Hairy (Scattered Long Hairs) 4.Leaf Type (Mature Leaf Beneath The 3rd Inflorescence) Tomato Margins OfMajor Leaflets (Mature Leaf Shallowly Toothed Or Beneath The 3rdInflorescence) Scalloped Marginal Rolling Or Wiltiness (Mature LeafSlight Beneath The 3rd Inflorescence) Onset Of Leaflet Rolling (MatureLeaf Beneath Late Season The 3rd Inflorescence) Surface Of MajorLeaflets (Mature Leaf Rugose (Bumpy Or Veiny) Beneath The 3rdInflorescence) Pubescence (Mature Leaf Beneath The 3rd NormalInflorescence) 5. Inflorescence Type (Make Observations On The 3rdSimple Inflorescence) Average Number Of Flowers In Inflorescence 5.7(Make Observations On The 3rd Inflorescence) Leafy Or “Running”Inflorescence (Make Occasional Observations On The 3rd Inflorescence) 6.Flower Calyx Normal (Lobes Awl Shaped) Calyx-Lobes Shorter Than CorollaCorolla Color Yellow Style Pubescence Absent Or Very Scarce (Campbell1327) Anthers All Fused Into Tube Fasciation (1st Flower Of 2nd Or 3rdAbsent (Monalbo, Inflorescence) Moneymaker) 7. Fruit Typical Shape InLongitudinal Section (3rd Rectangular Fruit Of 2nd Or 3rd Cluster) ShapeOf Transverse/Cross Section (3rd Fruit Angular Of 2nd Or 3rd Cluster)Shape Of Stem End (3rd Fruit Of 2nd Or 3rd Flat Cluster) Shape OfBlossom End (3rd Fruit Of 2nd Or 3rd Flat (Montfavet H 63.4, Cluster)Montfavet H 63.5) Size Of Blossom Scar Shape Of Pistil Scar (3rd FruitOf 2nd Or 3rd Dot Cluster) Length Of Mature Fruit (3rd Fruit Of 2nd Or3rd 64.9 mm Cluster) Diameter Of Fruit (3rd Fruit Of 2nd Or 3rd 53.6 mmCluster) Weight Of Mature Fruit (3rd Fruit Of 2nd Or 106.1 grams 3rdCluster) Core Coreless (Absent Or Smaller Than 6 × 6 Mm) Number OfLocules 3 Or 4 (Montfavet H 63.5) Surface Smooth Base Color(Mature-Green Stage) Apple Or Medium Green (Heinz 1439 VF) Pattern(Mature-Green Stage) Uniform Green Color At Maturity (Full-Ripe) Red(Ferline, Daniela, Montfavet H 63.5) Color Of Flesh At Maturity(Full-Ripe) Red/Crimson (Ferline, Saint- Pierre) Flesh Color UniformLocular Gel Color Of Table-Ripe Fruit Red Epidermis Color YellowEpidermis Normal Epidermis Texture Average Thickness Of Pericarp Medium(Carmello, Europeel, Floradade, Heinz 1706, Montfavet H 63.5) 8.Resistance To Fruit Disorder Blossom End Rot Highly Resistant *These aretypical values. Values may vary due to environment. Other values thatare substantially equivalent are also within the scope of the invention.

TABLE 2 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of LinePSQ24-2205 CHARACTERISTIC PSQ24-2205 1 Seedling Anthocyanin In HypocotylOf 2-15 Cm Seedling Present (Montfavet H 63.4) Habit Of 3-4 Week OldSeedling Normal 2 Mature Plant Height 61.2 cm Growth Type Determinate(Campbell 1327, Prisca) Form Normal Size Of Canopy (Compared To OthersOf Medium Similar Type) Habit Erect (Dwarf Champion) 3 Stem BranchingIntermediate (Westover) Branching At Cotyledon Or First Leafy NodePresent Number Of Nodes Between First Inflorescence 4 To 7 Number OfNodes Between Early (1^(st) To 2^(nd), 2^(nd) 1 To 4 To 3^(rd))Inflorescences Number Of Nodes Between Later Developing 1 To 4Inflorescences Pubescence On Younger Stems Sparsely Hairy (ScatteredLong Hairs) 4 Leaf Type (Mature Leaf Beneath The 3^(rd) TomatoInflorescence) Margins Of Major Leaflets (Mature Leaf Shallowly ToothedOr Scalloped Beneath The 3^(rd) Inflorescence) Marginal Rolling OrWiltiness (Mature Leaf Slight Beneath The 3^(rd) Inflorescence) Onset OfLeaflet Rolling (Mature Leaf Beneath Mid Season The 3^(rd)Inflorescence) Surface Of Major Leaflets (Mature Leaf Beneath Rugose(Bumpy Or Veiny) The 3^(rd) Inflorescence) Pubescence (Mature LeafBeneath The 3^(rd) Normal Inflorescence) 5 Inflorescence Type (MakeObservations On The 3^(rd) Simple Inflorescence) Leafy Or “Running”Inflorescence (Make Frequent Observations On The 3^(rd) Inflorescence) 6Flower Calyx Normal (Lobes Awl Shaped) Calyx-Lobes Shorter Than CorollaCorolla Color Old Gold Style Pubescence Absent Or Very Scarce (Campbell1327) Anthers All Fused Into Tube Fasciation (1^(st) Flower Of 2^(nd) Or3^(rd) Absent (Monalbo, Moneymaker) Inflorescence) 7 Fruit Typical ShapeIn Longitudinal Section (3^(rd) Fruit Ovate Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) Cluster)Shape Of Transverse/Cross Section (3^(rd) Fruit Angular Of 2^(nd) Or3^(rd) Cluster) Shape Of Stem End (3^(rd) Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) FlatCluster) Shape Of Pistil Scar (3^(rd) Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) DotCluster) Length Of Mature Fruit (3^(rd) Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) 68.8mm Cluster) Diameter Of Fruit (3^(rd) Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) 49.6 mmCluster) Weight Of Mature Fruit (3^(rd) Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) 86.2grams Cluster) Core Coreless (Absent Or Smaller Than 6 × 6 Mm) Number OfLocules 2 Or 3 (Alphamech, Futuria) Surface Smooth Base Color(Mature-Green Stage) Apple Or Medium Green (Heinz 1439 VF) Pattern(Mature-Green Stage) Uniform Green Color At Maturity (Full-Ripe) Red(Ferline, Daniela, Montfavet H 63.5) Color Of Flesh At Maturity(Full-Ripe) Red/Crimson (Ferline, Saint- Pierre) Flesh Color UniformLocular Gel Color Of Table-Ripe Fruit Red Epidermis Color YellowEpidermis Normal Epidermis Texture Tough Thickness Of Pericarp Medium(Carmello, Europeel, Floradade, Heinz 1706, Montfavet H 63.5) *These aretypical values. Values may vary due to environment. Other values thatare substantially equivalent are also within the scope of the invention.

TABLE 3 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of LinePSQ24-2206 CHARACTERISTIC PSQ24-2206 1 Seedling Anthocyanin In HypocotylOf 2-15 Cm Seedling Present (Montfavet H 63.4) Habit Of 3-4 Week OldSeedling Normal 2 Mature Plant Height 56.3 cm Growth Type Determinate(Campbell 1327, Prisca) Form Normal Size Of Canopy (Compared To OthersOf Large Similar Type) Habit Sprawling (Decumbent) 3 Stem BranchingProfuse (UC 82) Branching At Cotyledon Or First Leafy Node PresentNumber Of Nodes Between First Inflorescence 4 To 7 Number Of NodesBetween Early (1^(st) To 2^(nd), 2^(nd) 1 To 4 To 3^(rd)) InflorescencesNumber Of Nodes Between Later Developing 1 To 4 InflorescencesPubescence On Younger Stems Sparsely Hairy (Scattered Long Hairs) 4 LeafType (Mature Leaf Beneath The 3^(rd) Tomato Inflorescence) Margins OfMajor Leaflets (Mature Leaf Shallowly Toothed Or Scalloped Beneath The3^(rd) Inflorescence) Marginal Rolling Or Wiltiness (Mature Leaf SlightBeneath The 3^(rd) Inflorescence) Onset Of Leaflet Rolling (Mature LeafBeneath Mid Season The 3^(rd) Inflorescence) Surface Of Major Leaflets(Mature Leaf Beneath Rugose (Bumpy Or Veiny) The 3^(rd) Inflorescence)Pubescence (Mature Leaf Beneath The 3^(rd) Normal Inflorescence) 5Inflorescence Type (Make Observations On The 3^(rd) SimpleInflorescence) Average Number Of Flowers In Inflorescence 6 (MakeObservations On The 3^(rd) Inflorescence) Leafy Or “Running”Inflorescence (Make Occasional Observations On The 3^(rd) Inflorescence)6 Flower Calyx Normal (Lobes Awl Shaped) Calyx-Lobes Shorter ThanCorolla Corolla Color Yellow Style Pubescence Absent Or Very Scarce(Campbell 1327) Anthers All Fused Into Tube Fasciation (1^(st) Flower Of2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) Absent (Monalbo, Moneymaker) Inflorescence) 7 FruitTypical Shape In Longitudinal Section (3^(rd) Fruit Cylindrical Of2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) Cluster) Shape Of Transverse/Cross Section (3^(rd)Fruit Angular Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) Cluster) Shape Of Stem End (3^(rd)Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) Indented Cluster) Shape Of Blossom End (3^(rd)Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) Indented To Flat Cluster) Size Of Blossom ScarSmall (Montfavet H 63.4, Montfavet H 63.5) Shape Of Pistil Scar (3^(rd)Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) Dot Cluster) Length Of Mature Fruit (3^(rd)Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) 60.8 mm Cluster) Diameter Of Fruit (3^(rd)Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) 52.2 mm Cluster) Weight Of Mature Fruit(3^(rd) Fruit Of 2^(nd) Or 3^(rd) 88.8 grams Cluster) Core Coreless(Absent Or Smaller Than 6 × 6 Mm) Number Of Locules 2 Or 3 (Alphamech,Futuria) Surface Smooth Base Color (Mature-Green Stage) Apple Or MediumGreen (Heinz 1439 VF) Pattern (Mature-Green Stage) Uniform Green ColorAt Maturity (Full-Ripe) Red (Ferline, Daniela, Montfavet H 63.5) ColorOf Flesh At Maturity (Full-Ripe) Pink (Regina) Flesh Color UniformLocular Gel Color Of Table-Ripe Fruit Red Epidermis Color YellowEpidermis Normal Epidermis Texture Average Thickness Of Pericarp Thick(Cal J, Daniela, Ferline, Peto Gro, Rio Grande) *These are typicalvalues. Values may vary due to environment. Other values that aresubstantially equivalent are also within the scope of the invention.

C. Breeding Tomato Plants

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for producing seedof tomato hybrid PS02450650 involving crossing tomato lines PSQ24-2205and PSQ24-2206. Alternatively, in other embodiments of the invention,hybrid PS02450650, line PSQ24-2205, or line PSQ24-2206 may be crossedwith itself or with any second plant. Such methods can be used forpropagation of hybrid PS02450650 and/or the tomato lines PSQ24-2205 andPSQ24-2206, or can be used to produce plants that are derived fromhybrid PS02450650 and/or the tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206.Plants derived from hybrid PS02450650 and/or the tomato lines PSQ24-2205and PSQ24-2206 may be used, in certain embodiments, for the developmentof new tomato varieties.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties iswell known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varietiesmay be created by crossing hybrid PS02450650 followed by multiplegenerations of breeding according to such well known methods. Newvarieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selectingsuch a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines,it may be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibitone or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit thedesired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Once initialcrosses have been made, inbreeding and selection take place to producenew varieties. For development of a uniform line, often five or moregenerations of selfing and selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way ofdouble-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breedinglines without the need for multiple generations of selfing andselection. In this manner true breeding lines can be produced in aslittle as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced frommicrospores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploidembryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments(e.g. colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may be growninto haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. In eithercase, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance with theinvention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with a plantof the invention and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossingtransfers a specific desirable trait from one inbred or non-inbredsource to an inbred that lacks that trait. This can be accomplished, forexample, by first crossing a superior inbred (A) (recurrent parent) to adonor inbred (non-recurrent parent), which carries the appropriate locusor loci for the trait in question. The progeny of this cross are thenmated back to the superior recurrent parent (A) followed by selection inthe resultant progeny for the desired trait to be transferred from thenon-recurrent parent. After five or more backcross generations withselection for the desired trait, the progeny have the characteristicbeing transferred, but are like the superior parent for most or almostall other loci. The last backcross generation would be selfed to givepure breeding progeny for the trait being transferred.

The plant of the present invention are particularly well suited for thedevelopment of new lines based on the elite nature of the geneticbackground of the plants. In selecting a second plant to cross withPS02450650 and/or tomato lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 for the purposeof developing novel tomato lines, it will typically be preferred tochoose those plants which either themselves exhibit one or more selecteddesirable characteristics or which exhibit the desired characteristic(s)when in hybrid combination. Examples of desirable traits may include, inspecific embodiments, high seed yield, high seed germination, seedlingvigor, high fruit yield, disease tolerance or resistance, andadaptability for soil and climate conditions. Consumer-driven traits,such as a fruit shape, color, texture, and taste are other traits thatmay be incorporated into new lines of tomato plants developed by thisinvention.

D. Performance Characteristics

As described above, hybrid PS02450650 exhibits desirable agronomictraits. The performance characteristics of PS02450650 were the subjectof an objective analysis of the performance traits relative to othervarieties. The results of the analysis are presented below.

TABLE 4 Performance Characteristics For PS02450650 Disease TolerancePredicted or Avg. Avg. Juice Paste Avg. Avg. Color Avg. Avg. fruit Avg.fruit Avg. Variety Resistance Brix Bostwick Bostwick Ostwald (a/b) pHwt/gms wall/mm Lycopene H 9780{circumflex over ( )} Verticillium race 1,5.3 12.1 2.4 421 2.1 4.41 80 7.8 72.4 Fusarium race 1 and 2, Root KnotNematode, Bacterial Speck race 0 HYPEEL Verticillium race 1, 5.1 13.92.9 452 2.3 4.44 75 7.9 70.4 849 Fusarium race 1 and 2, Root KnotNematode, Bacterial Speck race 0 PS 345 Verticillium race 1, 4.9 14.02.9 353 2.1 4.41 80 7.5 67.9 Fusarium race 1 and 2, Root Knot Nematode,Bacterial Speck race 0 H 2401{circumflex over ( )} Verticillium race 1,5.0 12.0 2.5 703 2.3 4.34 58 6.3 72.3 Fusarium race 1 and 2, Root KnotNematode, Bacterial Speck race 0 S 6368{circumflex over ( )}Verticillium race 1, 5.5 17.4 3.3 287 2.2 4.46 69 7.0 61.9 Fusarium race1 and 2, Root Knot Nematode, Bacterial Speck race 0 PS02450650Verticillium race 1, 5.4 15.8 3.0 306 2.4 4.54 84 7.7 65.5 Fusarium race1 and 2, Root Knot Nematode, Bacterial Speck race 0 ***Key for Table 4:Brix Raw puree solids based on refractive index Juice Bostwick Hot Breakpuree flow in centimeters/30 seconds - average of 2 samples (lower valueindicates higher viscosity) Predicted Paste Bostwick Estimated Bostwickof 12 Brix paste, calculated using Brix and Juice Bostwick values (lowervalue indicates higher viscosity) Ostwald Serum viscosity of hot breakpuree serum measured in seconds of flow at 30 C., relative to water(higher number indicates higher viscosity) pH Standard pH values of rawpuree TA Titratable Acidity Master Acid (MA) Acidity calculation basedon Titratable Acidity and Total Solids a/b Color Represents the hue orcolor of the sample using a Minolta CM-508d (higher number is “redder”color) Lycopene Lycopene (ppm) in raw puree Fruit Weight Average weightof 10 fruit, measured in gram Fruit Wall Average width of pericarp wallof 10 fruit, measured in millimeters

TABLE 5 Further Performance Characteristics For PS02450650 VarietyTons/Acre PS02450650 (A) 48.8 HP 303 (A, B) 45.8 H9780 (A, B) 45.6 H9557(B) 41.2 **The results shown in Table 5 are taken from three triallocations in the same growing season. “A” and “B” indicate varietieswhose production is not statistically different from each other.Varieties not connected by the same letter are significantly different.

E. Further Embodiments of the Invention

In certain aspects of the invention, plants described herein areprovided modified to include at least a first desired heritable trait.Such plants may, in one embodiment, be developed by a plant breedingtechnique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of the desiredmorphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to a genetic locus transferred into the plant viathe backcrossing technique. The term single locus converted plant asused herein refers to those tomato plants which are developed by a plantbreeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of thedesired morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to the single locus transferred into the varietyvia the backcrossing technique. By essentially all of the desiredmorphological and physiological characteristics, it is meant that thecharacteristics of a plant are recovered that are otherwise present whencompared in the same environment, other than an occasional variant traitthat might arise during backcrossing or direct introduction of atransgene.

Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improveor introduce a characteristic into the present variety. The parentaltomato plant which contributes the locus for the desired characteristicis termed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. This terminology refers tothe fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcrossprotocol and therefore does not recur. The parental tomato plant towhich the locus or loci from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred isknown as the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in thebackcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest(recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent)that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. Theresulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to therecurrent parent and the process is repeated until a tomato plant isobtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological andphysiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered inthe converted plant, in addition to the single transferred locus fromthe nonrecurrent parent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the originalvariety. To accomplish this, a single locus of the recurrent variety ismodified or substituted with the desired locus from the nonrecurrentparent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desiredgenetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphologicalconstitution of the original variety. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross; one ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable trait to theplant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristicor trait being altered and the genetic distance between the recurrentand nonrecurrent parents. Although backcrossing methods are simplifiedwhen the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, arecessive allele, or an additive allele (between recessive anddominant), may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessaryto introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desiredcharacteristic has been successfully transferred.

In one embodiment, progeny tomato plants of a backcross in whichPS02450650 is the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desired trait fromthe non-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of tomato hybrid PS02450650 as determinedat the 5% significance level when grown in the same environmentalconditions.

tomato varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. Thetechnique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrentparents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used toreplace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain moredesirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtaindifferent desirable characteristics from each.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improvedby backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not betransgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, or viral disease,insect resistance, modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, andaltered nutritional quality. These comprise genes generally inheritedthrough the nucleus.

Direct selection may be applied where the single locus acts as adominant trait. For this selection process, the progeny of the initialcross are assayed for viral resistance and/or the presence of thecorresponding gene prior to the backcrossing. Selection eliminates anyplants that do not have the desired gene and resistance trait, and onlythose plants that have the trait are used in the subsequent backcross.This process is then repeated for all additional backcross generations.

Selection of tomato plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent onthe phenotype of a plant and instead can be based on geneticinvestigations. For example, one can utilize a suitable genetic markerwhich is closely genetically linked to a trait of interest. One of thesemarkers can be used to identify the presence or absence of a trait inthe offspring of a particular cross, and can be used in selection ofprogeny for continued breeding. This technique is commonly referred toas marker assisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or otherassay which is able to identify the relative presence or absence of atrait of interest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes.Procedures for marker assisted selection are well known in the art. Suchmethods will be of particular utility in the case of recessive traitsand variable phenotypes, or where conventional assays may be moreexpensive, time consuming or otherwise disadvantageous. Types of geneticmarkers which could be used in accordance with the invention include,but are not necessarily limited to, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms(SSLPs) (Williams et al., 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs(RAPDs), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence CharacterizedAmplified Regions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction(AP-PCR), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., 1998).

F. Plants Derived by Genetic Engineering

Many useful traits that can be introduced by backcrossing, as well asdirectly into a plant, are those which are introduced by genetictransformation techniques. Genetic transformation may therefore be usedto insert a selected transgene into a plant of the invention or may,alternatively, be used for the preparation of transgenes which can beintroduced by backcrossing. Methods for the transformation of plantsthat are well known to those of skill in the art and applicable to manycrop species include, but are not limited to, electroporation,microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation anddirect DNA uptake by protoplasts.

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ eitherfriable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogeniccallus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or otherorganized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partiallydegrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them topectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues ina controlled manner.

An efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segments to plantcells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particles arecoated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propellingforce. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten,platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspensionare concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively,immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culturemedium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriatedistance below the macroprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plantcells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, whichcan be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through ascreen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surfacecovered with target cells. The screen disperses the particles so thatthey are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates. It isbelieved that a screen intervening between the projectile apparatus andthe cells to be bombarded reduces the size of projectiles aggregate andmay contribute to a higher frequency of transformation by reducing thedamage inflicted on the recipient cells by projectiles that are toolarge. Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, andmay be used to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system forintroducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique isthat DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassingthe need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. ModernAgrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E.coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations(Klee et al., 1985). Moreover, recent technological advances in vectorsfor Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer have improved the arrangementof genes and restriction sites in the vectors to facilitate theconstruction of vectors capable of expressing various polypeptide codinggenes. The vectors described have convenient multi-linker regionsflanked by a promoter and a polyadenylation site for direct expressionof inserted polypeptide coding genes. Additionally, Agrobacteriumcontaining both armed and disarmed Ti genes can be used fortransformation.

In those plant strains where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation isefficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and definednature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediatedplant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is wellknown in the art (Fraley et al., 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methodsbased on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment,electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, e.g.,Potrykus et al., 1985; Omirulleh et al., 1993; Fromm et al., 1986;Uchimiya et al., 1986; Marcotte et al., 1988). Transformation of plantsand expression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al.(1994), and Ellul et al. (2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for anygene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers,scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance,nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest.Examples of constitutive promoters useful for tomato plant geneexpression include, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus(CaMV) P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expressionin most plant tissues (see, e.g., Odel et al., 1985), including monocots(see, e.g., Dekeyser et al., 1990; Terada and Shimamoto, 1990); atandemly duplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, the enhanced 35Spromoter (P-e35S) the nopaline synthase promoter (An et al., 1988), theoctopine synthase promoter (Fromm et al., 1989); and the figwort mosaicvirus (P-FMV) promoter as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619 and anenhanced version of the FMV promoter (P-eFMV) where the promotersequence of P-FMV is duplicated in tandem, the cauliflower mosaic virus19S promoter, a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter, a commelina yellowmottle virus promoter, and other plant DNA virus promoters known toexpress in plant cells.

A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulated in response toenvironmental, hormonal, chemical, and/or developmental signals can beused for expression of an operably linked gene in plant cells, includingpromoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., 1988), (2) light (e.g.,pea rbcS-3A promoter, Kuhlemeier et al., 1989; maize rbcS promoter,Schaffner and Sheen, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-binding protein promoter,Simpson et al., 1985), (3) hormones, such as abscisic acid (Marcotte etal., 1989), (4) wounding (e.g., wunl, Siebertz et al., 1989); or (5)chemicals such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It mayalso be advantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal etal., 1987; Schernthaner et al., 1988; Bustos et al., 1989).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to the tomato plants ofthis invention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from anotherspecies, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are presentin the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells bygenetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction orbreeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended torefer to genes that are not normally present in the cell beingtransformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc.,as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which arenormally present and that one desires to express in a manner thatdiffers from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express.Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any geneor DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless ofwhether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The typeof DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is alreadypresent in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a differentorganism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequencecontaining an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding asynthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and couldpotentially be introduced into a tomato plant according to theinvention. Non-limiting examples of particular genes and correspondingphenotypes one may choose to introduce into a tomato plant include oneor more genes for insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis(B.t.) gene, pest tolerance such as genes for fungal disease control,herbicide tolerance such as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, andgenes for quality improvements such as yield, nutritional enhancements,environmental or stress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plantphysiology, growth, development, morphology or plant product(s). Forexample, structural genes would include any gene that confers insecttolerance including but not limited to a Bacillus insect control proteingene as described in WO 99/31248, herein incorporated by reference inits entirety, U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by referencein its entirety, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880,275, hereinincorporated by reference it their entirety. In another embodiment, thestructural gene can confer tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate asconferred by genes including, but not limited to Agrobacterium strainCP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPS gene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,633,435, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, orglyphosate oxidoreductase gene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,463,175, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes byencoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targetedinhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example viaantisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Birdet al., 1991). The RNA could also be a catalytic RNA molecule (i.e., aribozyme) engineered to cleave a desired endogenous mRNA product (seefor example, Gibson and Shillito, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces aprotein or mRNA which expresses a phenotype or morphology change ofinterest is useful for the practice of the present invention.

G. Definitions

In the description and tables herein, a number of terms are used. Inorder to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a gene locus, all ofwhich alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cellor organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding locion a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce oneor more single locus conversions from one genetic background intoanother.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor or a chemicalagent conferring male sterility.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited incodominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygoteare readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e.,heritability of 1.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits that are usually continuously distributed.

Resistance: As used herein, the terms “resistance” and “tolerance” areused interchangeably to describe plants that show no symptoms to aspecified biotic pest, pathogen, abiotic influence or environmentalcondition. These terms are also used to describe plants showing somesymptoms but that are still able to produce marketable product with anacceptable yield. Some plants that are referred to as resistant ortolerant are only so in the sense that they may still produce a crop,even though the plants are stunted and the yield is reduced.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed bya plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially allof the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of atomato variety are recovered in addition to the characteristics of thesingle locus transferred into the variety via the backcrossing techniqueand/or by genetic transformation.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does notshow a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from themean.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has beenintroduced into the genome of a tomato plant by transformation.

H. Deposit Information

A deposit of tomato hybrid PS02450650 and the lines PSQ24-2205 andPSQ24-2206, disclosed above and recited in the claims, has been madewith the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), 10801 UniversityBlvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date of each of the deposits wasFeb. 5, 2009. The accession numbers for those deposited seeds of tomatohybrid PS02450650 and inbred parent lines PSQ24-2205 and PSQ24-2206 areATCC Accession Number PTA-9752, ATCC Accession Number PTA-9768, and ATCCAccession Number PTA-9758, respectively. Upon issuance of a patent, allrestrictions upon the deposits will be removed, and the deposits areintended to meet all of the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.801-1.809. Thedeposits will be maintained in the depository for a period of 30 years,or 5 years after the last request, or for the effective life of thepatent, whichever is longer, and will be replaced if necessary duringthat period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

REFERENCES

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplaryprocedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, arespecifically incorporated herein by reference:

-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,365-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,275-   An et al., Plant Physiol., 88:547, 1988.-   Bird et al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991.-   Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989.-   Callis et al., Plant Physiol., 88:965, 1988.-   Choi et al., Plant Cell Rep., 13: 344-348, 1994.-   Dekeyser et al., Plant Cell, 2:591, 1990.-   Ellul et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 107:462-469, 2003.-   EP 534 858-   Fraley et al., Bio/Technology, 3:629-635, 1985.-   Fromm et al., Nature, 312:791-793, 1986.-   Fromm et al., Plant Cell, 1:977, 1989.-   Gibson and Shillito, Mol. Biotech., 7:125,1997-   Klee et al., Bio-Technology, 3(7):637-642, 1985.-   Kuhlemeier et al., Plant Cell, 1:471, 1989.-   Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988.-   Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989.-   Odel et al., Nature, 313:810, 1985.-   Omirulleh et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993.-   Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985.-   Roshal et al., EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987.-   Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell, 3:997, 1991.-   Schernthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988.-   Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989.-   Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985.-   Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389, 1990.-   Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986.-   Wang et al., Science, 280:1077-1082, 1998.-   Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1 8:6531-6535, 1990.-   WO 99/31248

1. A tomato plant comprising at least a first set of the chromosomes oftomato line PSQ24-2205 or tomato line PSQ24-2206, a sample of seed ofsaid lines having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9768,and ATCC Accession Number PTA-9758, respectively.
 2. A seed comprisingat least a first set of the chromosomes of tomato line PSQ24-2205 ortomato line PSQ24-2206, a sample of seed of said lines having beendeposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9768, and ATCC AccessionNumber PTA-9758, respectively.
 3. The plant of claim 1, which is inbred.4. The plant of claim 1, which is hybrid.
 5. The plant of claim 4,wherein the hybrid plant is tomato hybrid PS02450650, a sample of seedof said hybrid PS02450650 having been deposited under ATCC AccessionNumber PTA-9752.
 6. The plant of claim 3, wherein the inbred plant isline PSQ24-2205 or line PSQ24-2206.
 7. A plant part of the plant ofclaim
 1. 8. The plant part of claim 7, further defined as a leaf, aovule, pollen, a fruit, or a cell.
 9. A tomato plant, or a part thereof,having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of thetomato plant of claim
 5. 10. A tomato plant, or a part thereof, havingall the physiological and morphological characteristics of the tomatoplant of claim
 6. 11. A tissue culture of regenerable cells of the plantof claim
 1. 12. The tissue culture according to claim 11, comprisingcells or protoplasts from a plant part selected from the groupconsisting of embryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers,roots, root tips, pistil, flower, seed and stalks.
 13. A tomato plantregenerated from the tissue culture of claim
 12. 14. A method ofvegetatively propagating the plant of claim 1 comprising the steps of:(a) collecting tissue capable of being propagated from a plant accordingto claim 1; (b) cultivating said tissue to obtain proliferated shoots;and (c) rooting said proliferated shoots to obtain rooted plantlets. 15.The method of claim 14, further comprising growing plants from saidrooted plantlets.
 16. A method of introducing a desired trait into atomato line comprising: (a) crossing a plant of line PSQ24-2205 orPSQ24-2206, a sample of seed of said lines having been deposited underATCC Accession Number PTA-9768, and ATCC Accession Number PTA-9758,respectively, with a second tomato plant that comprises a desired traitto produce F1 progeny; (b) selecting an F1 progeny that comprises thedesired trait; (c) crossing the selected F1 progeny with a plant of linePSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206 to produce backcross progeny; (d) selectingbackcross progeny comprising the desired trait and the physiological andmorphological characteristic of tomato line PSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206;and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) three or more times to produceselected fourth or higher backcross progeny that comprise the desiredtrait.
 17. A tomato plant produced by the method of claim
 16. 18. Amethod of producing a plant comprising an added desired trait, themethod comprising introducing a transgene conferring the desired traitinto a plant of line PS02450650, line PSQ24-2205 or line PSQ24-2206, asample of seed of said hybrid and lines having been deposited under ATCCAccession Number PTA-9752, ATCC Accession Number PTA-9768, and ATCCAccession Number PTA-9758, respectively.
 19. A method of determining thegenotype of the plant of claim 1 comprising obtaining a sample ofnucleic acids from said plant and detecting in said nucleic acids aplurality of polymorphisms.
 20. The method of claim 19, furthercomprising the step of storing the results of detecting the plurality ofpolymorphisms on a computer readable medium.
 21. A computer readablemedium produced by the method of claim
 20. 22. A method for producing aseed of a plant derived from hybrid PS02450650, line PSQ24-2205 or linePSQ24-2206 comprising the steps of: (a) crossing a tomato plant ofhybrid line PS02450650, line PSQ24-2205 or line PSQ24-2206 with a secondtomato plant; a sample of seed of said hybrid and lines having beendeposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9752, ATCC Accession NumberPTA-9768, and ATCC Accession Number PTA-9758, respectively; and (b)allowing seed of a hybrid PS02450650, line PSQ24-2205 or linePSQ24-2206-derived tomato plant to form.
 23. The method of claim 22,further comprising the steps of: (c) crossing a plant grown from saidhybrid PS02450650, PSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206-derived tomato seed withitself or a second tomato plant to yield additional hybrid PS02450650,PSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206-derived tomato seed; (d) growing saidadditional hybrid PS02450650, PSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206-derived tomatoseed of step (c) to yield additional hybrid PS02450650, PSQ24-2205 orPSQ24-2206-derived tomato plants; and (e) repeating the crossing andgrowing steps of (c) and (d) to generate at least a first further hybridPS02450650, PSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206-derived tomato plant.
 24. Themethod of claim 22, wherein the second tomato plant is of an inbredtomato line.
 25. The method of claim 23, further comprising: (f)crossing the further hybrid PS02450650, PSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206-derivedtomato plant with a second tomato plant to produce seed of a hybridprogeny plant.
 26. The seed of claim 2, defined as produced by crossingline PSQ24-2205 with line PSQ24-2206, a sample of seed of said lineshaving been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9768, and ATCCAccession Number PTA-9758, respectively.
 27. The seed of claim 26,wherein line PSQ24-2206 is used as the male parent.
 28. The hybrid seedof claim 26, wherein line PSQ24-2206 is used as the female parent.
 29. Aplant produced by growing the seed of claim
 26. 30. A plant part of theplant of claim
 29. 31. The plant part of claim 30, further defined as aleaf, a flower, a fruit, an ovule, pollen, or a cell.
 32. A tissueculture of cells of the plant of claim
 29. 33. The tissue culture ofclaim 32, wherein cells of the tissue culture are from a tissue selectedfrom the group consisting of embryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen,leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistil, flower, seed and stalks. 34.A tomato plant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 33, whereinthe regenerated plant expresses all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of hybrid tomato hybrid PS02450650. 35.The seed of claim 26, wherein one or both of the plant of linePSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206 and the second plant comprises a transgene. 36.The seed of claim 26, wherein one or both of the plant of linePSQ24-2205 or PSQ24-2206 and the second plant comprises a single locusconversion.
 37. A method of producing a tomato fruit comprising: (a)obtaining a plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant has beencultivated to maturity; and (b) collecting a tomato from the plant. 38.The method of claim 36, wherein the plant according to claim 1 is aplant of tomato hybrid PS02450650, a sample of seed of said hybridPS02450650 having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9752.39. A method of producing tomato seed comprising crossing the plant ofclaim 1 with itself or a second tomato plant and allowing seed to form.